Monday, 26 October 2009

Mehran Mahbobi writes: Today, 26 October, we in Toronto, Canada appeared in campus of York University in Toronto to coninue the Iran Solidarity campaign. We spent 3 hours in Vari Hall which is a center of all social and political activities for students on campus... Several students supported us in starting a club. We have a deadline of Friday this week to fill an aplication doing that. If we succeed, we shall have our own student club at York Univesity with the name of "Iran Solidarity at York University".

According to reliable sources, Soheila Ghadiri (a woman) and four men were executed in Tehran’s Evin prison early this morning. The execution of the juvenile offender Safar Angooti was postponed for one month. Soheila Ghadiri (30) was convicted of killing her new born baby three years ago. In the court she had said: "I escaped from home and got married to the boy I loved, at the age of 16. He died in an accident and after that I started with prostitution and drug addiction. I got HIV and hepatitis. When my baby was born, I killed her because I didn’t want her to have the same destiny as mine".

The International Committee against Execution has called for 30th October to be an International day against execution in Iran.

In its statement, it has said:

The Islamic Republic of Iran is about to execute a number of protestors and political activists from the recent protests. We must stand up strongly against its attempts to murder political activists and protestors.

Recently, the Islamic Republic executed Behnood Shojaee, convicted of murder at the age of 17. Few other juveniles who have been convicted under the age of 18, are about to be executed in the next few days. During these days; Mohammad Reza Alizamani, Hamed Roohinezhad, Arash Rahmanipoor, Naser Endolhosaini and Davood Farbache Mir Ardebili are sentenced to death for crimes such as participating in protests, being members of oppositions and apostasy. On 6th and 8th October, 6 people were hanged in Ahvaz. This is only a small sample of what this barbaric and criminal regime has done in the past few days.

We must stand against this machine of crime,

These people accused of participating in protests, are sentenced to death and according to their lawyers and some human rights organizations; they were arrested prior to recent protests and they are “guilty” of reporting news to opposition media and attempting to leave Iran and seek refuge to other countries. Given this situation, the Islamic Republic is trying to hang some of the protesters along with political activists in preparation for more executions. The officials of the Islamic Republic falsely think they are able to save their state by intimidating people.

The International Committee against Executions is preparing an international protest against execution in Iran and particularly against juveniles, political activists and protestors and asks everyone to participate in these protests in the occasion on 30th of October. We must strongly stand up against execution. Wherever you live, from any city, major intersections and in front of Islamic Republic embassies, parliament building and etc, prepare to protest.

Along with the people of Iran, we are capable of informing and getting the people of the world on our side and against the Islamic Republic.

We are going to get together to discuss our next actions. We need the help of all activists who want to get involved.

For example, five people in Iran have been sentenced to death because they participted in the June demonstrations. About 130 children are on death row to be executed in Iran, etc. We need lots of help to broadcast the voices of the Revolution from Iran and be the voice of Iranian Revolution in Vancouver. We need to create a network to support the Revolution in Iran and prevent the Islamic Regime to massacare them.

A week after the execution of juvenile offender Behnoud Shojaee, three other child offenders are due to be executed in the coming days: Mohammad Reza Haddadi, Safar Angooti, and Amir Amrollahi. The alleged charge is premeditated murder, committed under the legal age.

Safar Angooti’s execution is scheduled for 21 October. Safar Angooti, is accused of a murder, committed when he was 16.

Iran hanged Behnoud Shojaei on 12 October, the third child offender to be executed in 2009.

Iran is the only country since 2008 to execute child offenders.

Behnoud Shojaee was executed in the early morning of Sunday, Oct, 11th in Tehran's Evin prison, while tens of human rights defenders were protesting the verdict outside.

Behnoud Shojaee was sentenced to qesas (retribution) by Branch 74 of the Criminal Court in Tehran on 2 October 2006, after he was found guilty of killing a boy called Omid the previous year, when he was 17. Behnoud Shojaee had no legal representation at his trial. This was the sixth time his execution had been scheduled.

Executions of those under 18 at the time of their alleged offence is strictly prohibited under international law.

Iran is the only country in the world that has carried out such sentences within past year.

Iran Solidarity Toronto did their act of solidarity with the people of Iran and against child executions in Toronto Canada today in place of an act in Trafalgar Square. Here is video footage of the act: